Educating the educators.BASC

Gerri

Educating the educators. How to challenge anti-shooting prejudice in
schools. A guide for members.
Has your child come up against anti-shooting attitudes in school?
· Six-year old Kirsty comes home from primary school upset and angry with her dad. “All the class
said you were cruel, Daddy,” she sobs. “We were saying what we did at the weekend and I said
that I went shooting with you. We came home with six pheasants and had one for dinner. Miss
Bates said “that was disgusting – you shouldn’t talk about such things in class”.
· Thirteen year old James comes home from secondary school complaining that his English teacher
had told him not to use shooting as the subject for his talk to the class. When James’ father phones
the teacher he is told that guns are not an appropriate subject for other pupils to learn about and
that other parents might complain.
Do these anecdotes ring a bell with you? Are you concerned that your child’s school is biased
rather than open-minded about shooting? Here’s what to do and what not to do!
Don’t……. do nothing. Ignoring anti-shooting prejudice will reinforce it and undermine your
child’s confidence.
Don’t……. rush up to the school and shout at the teacher. Apart from the fact that you may be
breaking the law an aggressive response might also reinforce that prejudice and show you to be
as intolerant as the teacher.
Do…… try to find out everything that was said and happened. Try not to be angry but question
your child carefully and if possible talk to someone else who was there.
Do…… always; contact the school to register your concern. Complaining may not change every
ones opinions but it will highlight the issue and challenge prejudice. It will also support your
child’s confidence in your family culture.
How to approach the school….
· Always contact the headteacher not the teacher concerned
· Telephone the school for an appointment. (You will be asked what the appointment is
about so being ready to make clear that you have concerns, but you do not need to go into
any details.)
· Alternatively you could write to the headteacher and request an interview.
· In large secondary schools do not accept the offer of an interview with senior staff. Make
it clear that you have serious concerns that you wish to raise with the head or their
deputy.
Before the interview you should prepare yourself thoroughly with facts and figures about
shooting sports. It is essential that you are accurate so draw your information from the BASC
sources below
In the interview…….
· Describe the incident calmly and rationally and explain your concerns.
· State clearly that you are bringing up your child to be open minded about the views of
others so you expect a similar unbiased approach from the school staff and for any
prejudice in staff or pupils to be challenged.
· Ask why the school is not adhering to the National Curriculum requirements for the
breadth and balance and/or why the teacher is not promoting a balanced view.
· Point out that shooting sports are lawful activities that have nothing to so with criminal
‘gun culture’
· Inform them that throughout the country over 1 million people regularly take part in
shooting sports.
· Do not threaten. Show confidence in the head teacher’s ability to deal with the issue.
· If you can, offer the sort of help and support described below in the section about
changing attitudes
If you do not think that you have had a fair hearing and that the response from the head
teacher is not helpful…… or if a further incident occurs………
· Tell the head that you wish to take your complaint to the governing body. Write to
the Chair of Governors and ask for the opportunity to discuss your concerns.
When you meet the governors make the same points as to the head and then
explain why you feel your concerns have not been adequately addressed
· If matters are still unresolved you can resort to the school’s formal complaints
procedure. This is set out in the school’s prospectus and available on demand
from the school office
For this action to be worthwhile it should have a fair expectation of success. You
Must be very sure of your evidence. You may benefit from some prior discussion
of the case with professional staff at BASC
Do you want to safeguard the future of your sport? Do you want to stop
‘anti-shooting’ attitudes developing in the next generation?
Does this anecdote amuse you or worry you?
· Darren starts a panic in his rural secondary school. Bored with his lesson he starts fiddling
with the contents of his pockets and an empty 12 bore cartridge case rolls onto the floor.
The teacher is horrified at what she thinks is a ‘bullet for a gun’. She rushes to the
headteacher, who was similarly ignorant about shooting but very aware of recent
documents from the local education authority on guns and knives in schools. He rings the
local police and “to be on the safe side” sets off the fire alarm to evacuate the school, an
action which automatically calls out the fire service. Darren’s father is called to the school
to remove his son for “dangerous behaviour”. He is bemused. “He’s got a huge collection of
them at home,” he explains. It’s like collecting matchboxes.”
The National Curriculum expects schools to adopt a ‘broad and balanced’ approach.
Teachers’ training emphasizes the need to take an open-minded stance and to develop this
attitude in their pupils.
Most schools and teachers do try to adhere to principles. The majority are neither anti or
prejudiced. They know nothing about shooting or field sports except what they learn from the
media, and unfortunately, nowadays, this is a largely negative. Like most of the public teachers
often confuse shooting sports with the illegal possession and use of guns. Legislation and
popular culture has also made many in education almost paranoid about safety.
Those who wish to limit the legal possession of guns and/or to curtail the pursuit of legitimate
country sports seek to exploit the educational sectors fears and lack of knowledge. It is vital
that all those who engage in shooting sports seek to redress the balance
Here’s what you can do to educate the educators.
Don’t……. do nothing. Teachers have an enormous influence on young people and ignorance
and prejudice can grow if it is not challenged.
Do…… get involved in local schools. There are lots of ways to do this, depending on your time
and inclination:
· Joining the parent-teacher association, getting to know the teachers and making sure that
casual conversation includes your interest in shooting. (If they see that you haven’t got two
heads it’s a good start!)
· Selling dressed pheasants or ‘venison-burgers’, gibing a demonstration of gundog work or
just offering general help at the school fete
· Arranging a clay shoot to raise funds for some new school equipment
· Becoming a school governor
· Helping with after-school activities and trips
· Volunteering when volunteers are asked for!
There are also many ways that shooting people can provide direct support for class teachers.
But bear in mind that you must operate within the statutory framework that governs all adult
contact with children and that you must comply with insurance and health and safety
requirements. You are recommended to contact BASC for advice on these matters and for
examples of good practice
Some examples of activities which have proved successful are;
· Talking to a class about dog training and giving a demonstration
· Arranging a “Young Shots” day as part of a school Activities Week
· Environment is an important educational theme that occurs in many areas of the
National Curriculum. A class talk or visit could show how shooting sports contribute t
habitat creation environmental improvement and conservation. With prior consultation
this could be tailored to pupils age and studies
· Providing a work experience placement with a gamekeeper
· Giving a talk about the safe and responsible use of airguns
If you want more suggestions about how you can give practical help or you would like advice or help with
your own ideas contact BASC, staff can offer professional advice or put you in contact with other members
who have relevant practical experience.
It is all too easy to ignore the ‘antis’ and just enjoy our own shooting. But will our children
and grandchildren be able to do that? Will there be a sport of shooting for them to enjoy if we
don’t get together to combat prejudice where it is most influential in schools? We all need to
educate the educators if there is to be a future for our sport.
Please note that the anecdotes in this article are imaginary but based on real situation.